1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front transaxle device of a multi-wheel-drive vehicle.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, a multi-wheel-drive vehicle wherein four or more wheels are driven is known.
In this multi-wheel-drive vehicle, transaxle devices for supporting axles are disposed corresponding to the positions of the axles. For example, a rear transaxle device for supporting rear axles is disposed at a rear portion of the vehicle, and a front transaxle device for supporting front axles is disposed at a front portion of the vehicle. In a structure where six or more wheels are driven, a middle transaxle device for supporting middle axles is disposed at a longitudinally intermediate portion of the vehicle.
Furthermore, a transmission which transmits the power from a prime mover (e.g., an engine) is provided. By transmitting the power from the transmission to each of the transaxle devices, the wheels are driven through each of the axles.
In comparison with a two-wheel-drive structure, the above-mentioned multi-wheel-drive structure is more useful in that its driving performance over a bad road is good, and plenty of power is available for climbing a hill. Thus, this structure has come to be widely adopted by various kinds of vehicles such as automobiles, agricultural trucks, and the like.
Now, further improvement of such a multi-wheel-drive vehicle in terms of its driving performance over bad roads, cost-saving, maintainability, etc., is increasingly desired given the increasing popularity of such vehicles.